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US coronavirus: Trump says national guard to be sent to New York, California and Washington – live US coronavirus: Trump says national guard to be sent to New York, California and Washington – live
(32 minutes later)
Rand Paul becomes first senator to test positive for Covid-19 as New York governor offers scathing indictment of government’s delays and misstepsRand Paul becomes first senator to test positive for Covid-19 as New York governor offers scathing indictment of government’s delays and missteps
Trump ends by addressing Americans: “It is a challenging time, a great national trial. We will prove that we meet the moment, we are at war in a real sense.” Trump resumes his criticism of China. He says he wished China “had told us three months sooner” about coronavirus. He adds that “we could have saved a lot of lives.”
Trump is asked if he ill free elderly, non-violent criminals from federal prisons to alleviate the outbreak in the penal system: “We are actually looking at it, yes” he says.
The president is asked when the last time he had contact with Rand Paul, who has tested positive for Covid-19, was. Trump says it was not recently. He is told four senators are now in isolation after coming into contact with Paul. When he finds out that one is Mitt Romney he says, with a hint of a smile: “Gee that’s too bad.” He is asked if he is being sarcastic. “No,” he replies.
He is asked if senators in isolation could be allowed to vote remotely on an economic stimulation package. Trump says that he would be in favor of doing so.
Donald Trump is back at the podium to take questions from the press. He repeats Mike Pence’s hopes that a new test will soon be available that will give patients their results much more quickly than under the present system. He repeats accusations that he has made in the past that any problems are not down to him but rather than the “broken” system he inherited.
Pence says America is in a better state than many countries in Europe and Asia because Donald Trump banned travel from China and Europe early on. While countries like Italy are experiencing huge death tolls, many countries in Europe and Asia have - at this stage - much lower deathrates than America and appear to be better prepared.
The vice-president, Mike Pence, is speaking now. He says there is a “bipartisan” spirit to the fight against Covid-19 and it is a great credit to America. He says testing is becoming more widely available every day.
Peter Gaynor, the Fema administrator, speaks and emphasizes that the deployment of the National Guard does not mean martial law has been imposed in the three states where they will serve.
Trump ends by addressing Americans about the fight against what he says is an “invisible enemy”: “It is a challenging time, a great national trial. We will prove that we meet the moment, we are at war in a real sense.”
To those who may feel isolated he says: “We are all joined together as one people ... no American is alone as long as we are united. We are very united. You will have a leader who will always fight for you, this is going to be a great victory.”To those who may feel isolated he says: “We are all joined together as one people ... no American is alone as long as we are united. We are very united. You will have a leader who will always fight for you, this is going to be a great victory.”
He says he thinks the fight against Covid-19 can be won in good time: “It will happen much sooner than expected. The enemy is attacking 144 countries. There’s never been anything like this ... we will be totally victorious. He says he thinks the fight against Covid-19 can be won in good time: “This will be a great victory. This is going to be a victory. And it’s going to be a victory that in my opinion will happen much sooner than originally expected. It’s now attacking. The enemy is attacking, 144 countries at this moment. One hundred and forty-four. That’s unthinkable. There’s never been anything like this. And it’s vicious. It is vicious. Some people recover well, some people have a hard time. We all know that.”
He ends by saying that he thinks the economy will bounce back once the outbreak ends: “A pent up demand means the economy will eventually be better than it was before”. He ends by saying that he thinks the economy will bounce back once the outbreak ends: “We will then get our economy up to a level that it was and in my opinion beyond, because there will be a pent-up demand. There is a pent-up demand. And a lot of great things will happen.” Not everyone agrees.
Trump has moved away from figures to tell the country that he has very high poll ratings among military veterans.Trump has moved away from figures to tell the country that he has very high poll ratings among military veterans.
The President appears to be less freewheeling than usual, and is unrolling a long list of figures of the relief effort. He goes on to add that he wants to make sure that military veterans are protected during the coronavirus outbreak.The President appears to be less freewheeling than usual, and is unrolling a long list of figures of the relief effort. He goes on to add that he wants to make sure that military veterans are protected during the coronavirus outbreak.
Donald Trump says the US economy will “skyrocket” once the “war” against Covid-19 is won. He says the national guard has been ordered to help with the fight against the virus in New York, California and Washington, where the outbreak has hit hard. He says he spoke to the governors of all three states and they will have control of the national guard in their respective states. He says additional supplies will go the three states, including extra beds and facemasks. He says the supplies will be delivered in the next 48 hours. He also says Major Disaster Declarations have been approved for New York and Washington with approval for California to come.Donald Trump says the US economy will “skyrocket” once the “war” against Covid-19 is won. He says the national guard has been ordered to help with the fight against the virus in New York, California and Washington, where the outbreak has hit hard. He says he spoke to the governors of all three states and they will have control of the national guard in their respective states. He says additional supplies will go the three states, including extra beds and facemasks. He says the supplies will be delivered in the next 48 hours. He also says Major Disaster Declarations have been approved for New York and Washington with approval for California to come.
The Coronavirus Task Force’s press briefing at the White House is about to start, nearly 90 minutes late but better late than never. Donald Trump starts the conference by saying the country is trying to repatriate two groups of young Americans in Peru and Honduras. Trump once again pretty much goes against the language of everyone else in the country by calling Covid-19 “the China virus”. The president reminds Anericans to wash their hands and practice social distancing. He also confirms Senator Rand Paul has Coronavirus.
The US ambassador to the West African country of Burkina Faso, Andrew Young, has tested positive for Covid-19. Italy’s ambassador to the country, along with several of the nation’s government ministers, have also tested positive for the virus.
The announcement of a statewide shelter-in-place order by the Louisiana governor, John Bel Edwards, is a marker of the growing concern that the state, and specifically the New Orleans metro area, could become a major Covid-19 hotspot.
There are now 837 confirmed coronavirus cases in Louisiana, compared with 15,168 in the state of New York and 1,536 in California – both states with millions more residents. The state, in the deep south of the America, now ranks third in per capita confirmed test results, in states across the US, behind New York and Washington.
The confirmed cases are partially a result of Louisiana rolling out more testing in recent days – the city of New Orleans began drive-through testing over the weekend and also lowered the threshold for individuals displaying symptoms to receive a test. But the testing also indicates that the virus has spread throughout the state, with more than half of Louisiana’s parishes (local jurisdictions that are the same as counties in other states) confirming at least one case.
Furthermore, there are now 20 confirmed deaths in Louisiana caused by Covid-19, compared with 28 in California and 76 in New York – again both states with vastly larger populations. Fifteen of these deaths occurred in the New Orleans metro area, with six at a single nursing home in New Orleans.
Mitt Romney has said he will self-quarantine after his fellow Republican senator, Rand Paul, tested positive for Covid-19. Romney said he had sat next to Paul for “extended periods” in recent days.
The Coronavirus Task Force’s briefing from the White House, which was due to start at 4.30pm then 5pm ET, is now scheduled for 5.30pm. It’s perhaps not encouraging that the people charged with protecting the US from a pandemic can’t get a press conference started on time.
It’s fair to say Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema is not pleased about unconfirmed reports her fellow senator Rand Paul went to the gym while waiting for the results of his (positive) coronavirus test:
On Sunday police in Washington DC shut down streets in the nation’s capital that are popular with sightseers out to look at the capital’s cherry blossoms. There were fears that the crowds would help spread Covid-19.
Perhaps no surprise Louisiana has decided to issue a stay at home order – the virus is spreading incredibly fast in the state. Faster than anywhere in the world according to one source:
Reports are emerging that Utah senator Mike Lee is in self-quarantine under advice from medical staff, although there has been no confirmation that he has Covid-19. Still, with the news that his fellow senator Rand Paul has the virus it’s not encouraging news for some of the most powerful people in the US that the Senate gym is still open. It should also be noted that Kansas senator Jerry Moran said he saw Paul in the swimming pool this morning, which would be an odd choice seeing as Paul had earlier been tested for the virus. He is also a qualified ophthalmologist, so it’s not like he is unaware of the basics of medicine.
Further afield , it appears likely that the 2020 Olympics will be postponed (making them possibly the 2021 Olympics). The IOC has dithered on the matter while sports leagues around the world have postponed or suspended seasons. Here’s our story: